It took a bit longer than initially anticipated, but Fedora 17 is finally here with its rather unfortunate code name in tow. Beefy Miracle delivers a pretty healthy assortment of improvements over version 16, including support for GNOME Shell even in the absence of 3D acceleration. The project has also embraced the coming tablet revolution by adding multi-touch support to the OS and moved to a unified file system. Otherwise, the changelog is primarily a pedestrian list of performance improvements, bug fixes and package upgrades. To download it and try it yourself hit up the source link.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Fedora performs a Beefy Miracle, releases version 17 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've been jonesing for a more international look at smartphone market share for the start of 2012, and IDC is now more than willing to oblige. In case you'd thought Android's relentless march upwards was just an American fling, Google's OS has jumped from 36.1 percent of the world's share a year ago to exactly 59 percent in the first quarter of this year. That's nearly two thirds of all smartphones, folks. As we've seen in the past, Android is siphoning off legacy users looking for something fresher: Symbian and the BlackBerry have both lost more than half of their share in one year's time, while Linux (led mostly by Bada) and Windows Mobile / Phone together lost small pieces of the pie despite raw shipment numbers going up. As for Apple? Even with all the heat in the kitchen, the iPhone's share grew to 23 percent, leading to a staggering 82 percent of smartphone buyers siding with either the Cupertino or Mountain View camps.

Continue reading IDC: Android has a heady 59 percent of world smartphone share, iPhone still on the way up

IDC: Android has a heady 59 percent of world smartphone share, iPhone still on the way up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Linux comes in all sorts of flavors -- it's part of what makes the OS so confusing to new comers. To make matters worse, some of the most popular variants are actually based on other distros, such as Linux Mint, the refreshing desktop that's based largely on Ubuntu. So, if you're wondering what's new in the Mint 13, a good place to start is probably our review of the aubergine OS. Of course, Maya has a few wrinkles of its own -- including a pair of desktop options dubbed MATE and Cinnamon. MATE, as you may recall, was introduced in the last version, but Cinnamon is all new (read: a tad unstable) and built on a modern framework using Gnome 3 and Clutter. There have been a few other new additions, including a new display manager in MDM and a switch to Yahoo! as the default search engine. As usual with these things, you can download it and try it out for free at the source.

[Thanks, Mohamad]

Linux Mint 13 'Maya' released, just in time for the next piktun originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Heavens, it's already time for another Linux kernel refresh. We're now looking at 3.4, which is available for download now. Whereas the last version was all about green robots, this update focuses on support for the latest processors and graphics cards, including AMD's Trinity and Radeon HD 7000-series, NVIDIA's Kepler stack, plus the graphical component inside Intel's Medfield mobile chip. As if that wasn't enough, there are plenty more changes at the source link, along with a serene missive from the man himself.

Linux kernel 3.4 is out: supports Trinity, Southern Islands, Kepler, Medfield and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 07:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock lately, we're pretty sure you've heard about the Raspberry Pi by now -- a $25 credit-card sized PC that brings ARM/Linux to the Arduino form factor. As a refresher, the system features a 700MHz Broadcom BCM2835 SoC with an ARM11 CPU, a Videocore 4 GPU (which handles HD H.264 video and OpenGL ES 2.0) and 256MB RAM. The board includes an SD card slot, HDMI output, composite video jack, 3.5mm audio socket, micro-USB power connector and GPIO header. Model A ($25) comes with one USB port, while Model B ($35) provides two USB ports and a 100BaseT Ethernet socket. Debian is recommended, but Raspberry Pi can run most ARM-compatible 32-bit OSes.

This past weekend at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012 we ran into Eben Upton, Executive Director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and took the opportunity to spend some quality time with a production board and to discuss this incredible PC. We touched upon the origins of the system (inspired by the BBC Micro, one of the ARM founders' projects), Moore's law, the wonders of simple computers and upcoming products / ideas -- including Adafruit's Pi Plate and Raspberry Pi's prototype camera add-on. On the subject of availability, the company expects that "there will be approximately 200,000 units in the field by the end of June". Take a look at our hands-on gallery below and our video interview after the break.

Gallery: Raspberry Pi hands-on

Continue reading Raspberry Pi hands-on and Eben Upton interview at Maker Faire (video)

Raspberry Pi hands-on and Eben Upton interview at Maker Faire (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the main thing that would make Raspberry Pi's diminutive $25 / $35 Linux setups better would be if we could get our hands on them faster, the team behind it is already working on improvements like this prototype camera seen above. The add-on is slated to ship later this year and plugs into the CSI pins left exposed right in the middle of each unit. According to the accompanying blog post, the specs may be downgraded from the prototype's 14MP sensor to keep things affordable, although there's no word on an exact price yet. Possible applications include robotics and home automation, but until the hackers get their hands on them you'll have to settle for one pic from the Pi's POV after the break and a few more at the source linked below.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on

Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 04:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Upcoming Mozilla Marketplace lacks Linux support; open-source fix in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 01:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An internal innovation fund at Dell is helping create project Sputnik, an Ubuntu-based laptop aimed at developers. The hardware is Dell's XPS13 Ultrabook, and the OS is the latest version of Canonical's linux distro, Precise Pangolin 12.04 LTS. So far the image contains drivers and patches for hardware, key tools and utilities (emacs, Vim, Chromium etc.,) and a native tool for github repository integration is incoming soon. Dell has also worked closely with Canonical on the project to ensure maximum hardware compatibility. As for developer tools, instead of bloating the system with a complex suite of applications, Sputnik has been designed to let users go to a github repository and pull down individual developer profiles; Android, Ruby and JavaScript being available right now, with more to follow. The install image is available right now via the more coverage link, and more details on the project will follow as it develops.

Project Sputnik: Dell's Ubuntu-based XPS13 laptop for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Internet Explorer associated with an exploit? Color us shocked. Facetiousness aside, it's seriously about time you switched over to Chrome or Firefox (as a mitigation tool; not a foolproof solution), and if you're a desktop user relying on Flash Player, well... it's about time you updated that, too. Adobe has just released a security update for Flash Player 11.2.202.233 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, Adobe Flash Player 11.1.115.7 and earlier versions for Android 4.x, and Adobe Flash Player 11.1.111.8 and earlier versions for Android 3.x and 2.x. We're told that these updates "address an object confusion vulnerability (CVE-2012-0779) that could cause the application to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system." Adobe specifically mentions an exploit that targets Flash Player on Internet Explorer for Windows, where a user is duped into clicking on a malicious file delivered in an email message. Hit up the source link for more information on getting your system out of The Danger Zone. Which, conveniently, can be looped as you update with a click after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Adobe issues security update for Flash player, warns against IE exploit

Adobe issues security update for Flash player, warns against IE exploit originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 00:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The unveiling of Tizen left many mobile open-source aficionados wondering when the OS would reach its all-important 1.0 status. The answer is now: the coalition between Intel, Panasonic, Samsung and a raft of carriers has posted the first non-beta release in both source code and software development kit forms. The finished versions of either carry new features to reward developers for the wait: SDK users get a new browser-based simulator and a faster emulator, while those scouring the source code will find new point-of-interest and route searching features in location-aware apps as well as WiFi Direct and more HTML5 support. About the only wait left is for an actual Tizen phone to ship.

[Image credit: Realnorth]

Tizen 1.0 Larkspur arrives, fuels your open-source phone dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 20:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With roughly 98 percent of the desktop and laptop market spoken for, you'd be forgiven for thinking your only choices for powering your computer were Windows or Mac OS X. There is another way, though. Linux may only run on a tiny sliver of consumer PCs, but the number is growing and one of the biggest players propelling its popularity is Ubuntu. Since bursting on the scene eight years ago, the distro has grown to dominate the desktop Linux market and made plenty of fans (and a few detractors) along the way. Truth is, Ubuntu is completely unique and, at least compared to other distros out there, very user-friendly. It also happens to have a very active community of developers and users willing to lend help to those in need, which makes it appealing to Linux vets, enterprise users and *nix n00bs alike.

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin is part of the company's LTS or Long Term Support series, and is guaranteed for five years of support through Canonical. That means the company is focusing less on cramming new features into this release and more on making it as stable as possible. So, if you're familiar with Ubuntu, you won't find much here that will blow your mind. Of course, the real question is whether or not the aubergine-loving open-source OS is for you, not whether there's enough new tweaks to fill a book. So, without further ado, we present Ubuntu 12.04: the review. Join us after the break, won't you?

Gallery: Ubuntu 12.04 review

Continue reading Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For all the talk of convergence in mobile devices, there's relatively little chatter about the coming together of wireless signals themselves. In other words, why should we have a separate device to interact with each type of wireless signal? And so, with that intriguing question, begins the pitch for a new device call Phi. It's a $750 antennae-laden PCIe card that slots into a desktop and gathers up wireless signals that are flying around the home -- so long as they have a frequency below 4GHz and don't involve bank-busting neutrinos. The card then allows custom apps to re-direct those transmissions as you like: potentially acting as a "base station" so you can make free calls from your cell phone, or receiving over-the-air HD transmissions which you can play on your tablet, or doing whatever else hobbyists and devs can cook up. Phi is still version 0.1 and Linux-only while the startup behind it -- Per Vices -- looks for a Kinect-style blossoming of third-party interest, but with nothing less than a deity-like command over the domestic ether on offer, how could it ever fail?

Continue reading Phi: a wireless re-routing card that puts you in control of the airwaves (video)

Phi: a wireless re-routing card that puts you in control of the airwaves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 06:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday, Phoronix had encouraging news about the prospect of Steam for Linux: photo evidence of Left 4 Dead running on Ubuntu 11.10 with AMD Catalysts drivers. Today, the site followed up with video footage of that same scenario, posting a hastily shot clip to show that Valve is indeed making progress -- slow as it may be -- on porting the game engine to Linux. Got 14 seconds? Check out the video demo below the break.

Continue reading Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality

Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So you shelled out a cool $25 to get your hands on the Raspberry Pi -- and, after some hiccups, the thing actually shipped. Now what? Adafruit's got your back. The DIY-friendly company announced that it's getting ready to release its Prototyping Pi Plate Kit, which will help you leverage the little Linux box for some of those home-baked embedded computer projects you're itching to start. Nothing yet in the way of pricing or availability for the product -- not until Adafruit's done testing it on shipping Raspberry Pi units. In the meantime, you can always add it to your hacking wish list by clicking the source link below.

Adafruit wants to help you hack your Raspberry Pi originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's here! Precise Pangolin or, as it's officially known, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Canonical's latest is now available in its final(ish) form and ready for you to download, burn and install. While LTS (Long Term Support) releases are generally more conservative in their application of new features, Pangolin does include some rather notable tweaks. The most immediately noticeable will be the new log in screen which, while largely the same, does have the slick new trick of changing wall papers to match the selected user. A more subtle change is revealed once you've logged on and press alt -- HUD. The new search-based menu system is quite a departure from traditional interaction models, and one that will come as a relief to those who constantly forget where a particular option is buried. Perhaps the most welcome change, though, is the vastly improved performance and power management. Ubuntu, for all of its finer points, has never been particularly battery friendly. But Canonical is promising that is going to change. We'll have to wait to find out once we get this bad boy installed on some machines of our own. You know the drill, hit up the source link to download it for yourself, for free.

Update: Well, looks like all you Ubuntu fanatics have taken out the site temporarily. We're sure it'll be back soon but, in the meantime, you can still download the latest version of the OS here (magnet link).

Update 2: And they're back! Also, we've now got PR after the break.

Continue reading Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As you may know, there is at least one out and proud Ubuntu devotee on staff. So, when Google Drive was announced, there were a few grumbles from those who noticed Linux was absent from the list of supported platforms. Especially in the wake of Picasa for Linux, many were afraid that Big G was slowly killing off it's (comparably) robust support of the open-source OS. But, rest easy, in addition to Dropbox and Ubuntu One, soon enough you'll be able to use Google's offering as well. Google Docs community manager Teresa Wu (we assume, soon enough, that will be Google Drive community manager) swung by a potential customer's Google+ profile to assuage his ire over the lack of Linux support. The message, while not very detailed, was quite clear: "we're working on Linux support -- hang tight!"

Google Drive is coming to Linux, tells users to 'hang tight' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been a long-running saga as to when Linux users will finally see some native gaming action on Steam, but according to Phoronix that happy day will likely arrive within "months." Valve has been busily hiring Linux OpenGL boffins, including people recommended by Phoronix's founder, Michael Larabel, who certainly seems to be on the inside track. His photo above offers some proof of progress: it shows Left 4 Dead 2 running natively on Ubuntu 11.10 with AMD Catalysts drivers. Why has it taken so long since news of a Linux client was first floated (and officially denied) back in 2010? Larabel attributes it to Valve's "flat management structure" that allows its developers to work on what they want. (And you still question the importance of hierarchy?)

Steam for Linux is coming, and after waiting epochs what's a few more months? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've ever had the pleasure of using VIM, the popular Linux (and other platforms) text editor, you'll know that dark magic lies within its keyboard shortcuts. However, with so many to learn, where do you start? Well, some fine fellow (Doron Linder to be precise) thought the answer to that question was a neat little fantasy adventure game. VIM adventures coaxes you through the learning process via ingenious little tasks that teach you the shortcuts along the way, all washed down with a healthy glug of gaming nostalgia. Before long you'll have the keys to the castle and, of course, unabated word processing prowess. Tap j to hit the source link and get started.

VIM Adventures teaches you keyboard shortcuts, :%s/n00b/pro/gc in no time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

[Image via Fabio Bretto]

Ubuntu 12.10 gets christened Quantal Quetzal ahead of Pangolin launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia's buried-but-beloved N900 smartphone has performed many parlor tricks in the past, but its latest role as a carbon-fiber swaddled cyborg cranium just might take the cake. Using the equally forsaken MeeGo Maemo OS, a roboticist by the name of Sascha hacked his way into the phone's three-axis controller and other components in order to bring his Bioloid creation to life. The smartphone's video streaming and remote access functions may also give this bipedal mech a leg-up on the last N900 robo we admired -- but we'll need to see some video of it all in action before we make that call. Meanwhile, let's just hope that this unholy union of rejected parts doesn't become self-aware and turn on the company that cast it away.

Nokia N900 rises from the grave, replaces robot's head originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nouveau open source NVIDIA driver goes stable, gets benchmarked originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google demos Coreboot on Chromebook prototype, hints at Ivy Bridge support (video)

Google demos Coreboot on Chromebook prototype, hints at Ivy Bridge support (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Canonical prepping to launch Ubuntu as smartphone OS? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kubuntu 12.10 gains Blue Systems as sponsor, Canonical waves farewell originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google Chrome 19 beta brings live tab synching to the fold originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Linux Tycoon game lets you 'create' your own distro, neck beard not required originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading World's slowest Linux computer, says 'Hello Wor...' (video)

World's slowest Linux computer, says 'Hello Wor...' (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We're still working on our own plans to grab that $10 million Tricorder X-Prize from Qualcomm and our progress has just been given a shot in the arm from Dr. Peter Jansen, who's released the designs for his tricorders. Making all the specifics open source, his Mark 2 model runs on Linux, while the hardware includes an ARM Atmel microcontroller squeezed into a clam-shell with two OLED touchscreens. Schematics, board layouts, and the firmware is all available at the source below and also includes the initial proof-of-concept device. The tricorders need six AAA to run and include sensors for temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, ambient light, distance and even magnetic fields. Dr. Jansen's hope is to make scientists out of everyone -- including your kids. That is, right after they ask you what Star Trek is.

Continue reading Tricorder designs go open source: can detect magnetic fields, reveal Trekkies (video)

Tricorder designs go open source: can detect magnetic fields, reveal Trekkies (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Raspberry Pi faces distribution troubles over CE certification originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Linux kernel 3.3 released with merged Android code and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Raspberry Pi production derailed due to manufacturing error, initial shipments still on schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading NVIDIA joins Linux Foundation, doesn't mention driver development

NVIDIA joins Linux Foundation, doesn't mention driver development originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ubuntu's 'Precise Pangolin' emerges into Beta, enjoys the fresh air (video)

Ubuntu's 'Precise Pangolin' emerges into Beta, enjoys the fresh air (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hands-on with FXI's Cotton Candy, now available for pre-order (video)

Hands-on with FXI's Cotton Candy, now available for pre-order (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump

Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ubuntu for Android: more details and prototype hands-on (video)

Ubuntu for Android: more details and prototype hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google and Adobe team up to make Flash Player for Linux (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ASUS gives Transformer Prime a bootloader unlock tool, Ubuntu promptly ported originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ubuntu's full desktop OS coming to multi-core Android devices (update: video)

Ubuntu's full desktop OS coming to multi-core Android devices (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi wears a new Fedora (video)

Raspberry Pi wears a new Fedora (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.